If approved next month, Emanuel's proposal would allow for the installation of 10 digital billboards along the Kennedy, eight along the Dan Ryan, six along the Eisenhower, five along the Stevenson and one each along the Chicago Skyway, Bishop Ford, Edens, Tri-State Tollway and Ohio Street feeder ramp. The city would share the advertising revenue with the company selected to operate and manage the 1,200-square-foot billboards. Chicago's chief financial officer, Lois Scott, says the city would raise about $15 million in new money next year.

Again, it's difficult to do cartwheels. The city's overall budget for next year is $6.5 billion. Aldermen must decide whether $15 million is worth the potential collateral damage: distracted drivers, cheapening the city's natural character and the megawatt intrusion to residents who live nearby.

Emanuel wisely abandoned the more controversial component of his marketing program: a billboard free-for-all in neighborhoods throughout Chicago. That piece of the package is on hold for now as the city studies how to revamp its sign policy without turning certain communities into Times Square. Only expressway billboards are on the agenda for next month's City Council meeting.

The city spent more than a year developing the proposal. Scott says the city would be able to use the billboards for public service announcements, Amber Alerts, traffic updates — even digital art. In other words, lipstick on a pig. Let's face it: There's nothing pretty about billboards.

The city also would be able to intervene if the content of the billboards becomes distasteful. The last thing drivers need while cruising 65 mph down the Dan Ryan are glittery, revealing advertisements for, say, gentlemen's clubs. Scott says tobacco and alcohol products also would be regulated. And certain billboards would go dark during overnight hours.

In settling on its vendor of choice, the city invited bids from about 600 vendors, according to Scott. A review committee whittled the list down to a few and then invited them for oral presentations. As Ald. Daniel Solis, 25th, points out: Partnering with a private firm to erect and advertise on billboards isn't selling off an existing city asset. This isn't Parking Meter Deal Part 2.

Chicago currently collects about $1 million annually from 1,300 existing, traditional billboards. Adding 34 more along the city's highways for 15 times the profit sounds reasonable.

Ideally, the city wouldn't have to scrape under rocks for new sources of revenue. Ideally, city government would find enough waste to cut, jobs to eliminate and departments to streamline to balance its budget without pig lipstick.

But we also understand the budget pressures facing Chicago due in part to its underfunded pension systems. Until Springfield fixes that problem — and we hope lawmakers will in the next few weeks — governments will be forced to latch onto whatever new money they can to avoid turning to taxpayers.